The 1999 Land Act prohibits land ownership by foreigners except in the case of selected investment projects licensed by the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC).
The Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, William Lukuvi, announced in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the suspect, identified as UK businessman Hamant Patel, is currently being questioned by anti-graft investigators.
Lukuvi said Patel, who is based in the lakeside city of Mwanza, was found to be in illegal possession of five title deeds to plots in prime areas of Mwanza, Tabora and Simiyu regions.
The ministry has since revoked all five of the title deeds while awaiting further legal measures to be taken against him, the minister added.
The ministry has since revoked all five of the title deeds while awaiting further legal measures to be taken against him, the minister added.
He told reporters: “I contacted the immigration commissioner who confirmed that Patel is not a Tanzanian citizen and is actually a foreigner whose living permit was due to expire next year.”
“As I speak, investigators from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) are interrogating him on this issue before proceeding to the court.”
“As I speak, investigators from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) are interrogating him on this issue before proceeding to the court.”
Lukuvi ordered all foreign citizens who have forged citizenship and thus illegally acquired land to surrender themselves to the authorities or face arrest and criminal prosecution.
The minister declared war against foreigners who are found to be engaging in this kind of land fraud, saying his ministry will conduct a countrywide operation to hunt them down and bring them to book.
“We will conduct checks in every office and company to ensure that everyone who owns land owns it legally, and must be a Tanzanian citizen,” he asserted.
“We will conduct checks in every office and company to ensure that everyone who owns land owns it legally, and must be a Tanzanian citizen,” he asserted.
He furthermore called on wananchi in general to ensure that they follow all the legal procedures to secure land ownership and refrain from trying to cut corners.
Lukuvi also issued a three-month ultimatum to all land owners without proper title deeds in Dar es Salaam - the country’s commercial hub - to upgrade their customary rights of occupancy into formal title deeds.
Although customary land ownership rights have been outdated since 2008, many city residents still prefer to cling on to those documents, the minister noted.
Although customary land ownership rights have been outdated since 2008, many city residents still prefer to cling on to those documents, the minister noted.
He said his ministry will also crack down on people who own land using forged title deeds and customary rights of occupancy documents.
“There is also an emerging behaviour of people invade other people's land. This is against the law and I warn all those involved to stop doing this,” he said
“There is also an emerging behaviour of people invade other people's land. This is against the law and I warn all those involved to stop doing this,” he said
According to Lukuvi, the government has issued a 90-day notice to former prime minister Frederick Sumaye to develop his 33-acre farm in the Mabwepande area of the city’s Kinondoni District, or risk losing it.
The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) has the mandate to issue derivative land rights to foreign investors who meet the requirements provided under the law.
The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) has the mandate to issue derivative land rights to foreign investors who meet the requirements provided under the law.
A foreigner can be allocated land designated for investment purposes under the name of TIC and thereafter derivative rights are issued to the investor as a foreign entity.
But many foreigners have been illegally buying land as individuals - not investors - by falsely claiming to be Tanzanian citizens.
But many foreigners have been illegally buying land as individuals - not investors - by falsely claiming to be Tanzanian citizens.
